narratives

IPA/ˈnær.ə.tɪv/
KK[nˈærətɪvz]IPA/ˈner.ə.t̬ɪv/

narratives — noun

  • narrativessingular
  • narrativesesplural

1. a spoken or written account of connected events, presented as a story that can b

1.名詞B1
釋義

a spoken or written account of connected events, presented as a story that can be read, told, or watched.

例句

Minho wrote a short narrative about his summer trip to the mountains.

narrative + about + topic

The documentary offers a powerful narrative of life in rural Kenya.

narrative + of + noun phrase for the subject

同義詞
  • story

    more everyday and less formal; 'story' is the common word while 'narrative' sounds more structured or literary

  • account

    focuses on reporting facts or events in order, often in a formal context

  • tale

    suggests a fictional or imaginative story, often with a traditional or folk quality

  • description

    broader — describes what something is like without necessarily following a story-like sequence

文法句型

narrative + of + noun phrase

narrative + about + noun phrase

用法筆記

Countable — you can have one narrative or several narratives. Often used with an adjective describing the story's quality (compelling, gripping, detailed).

常見錯誤

❌I read a long narrative book.
✅I read a long narrative.
💡'narrative' as a noun already means a story; you do not need 'book' after it.
❌She told a narrative story.
✅She told a story.' or 'She gave a narrative.
💡'narrative' already implies a story; adding 'story' is redundant.

2. the set of beliefs or values through which someone frames a series of events, re

2.名詞B2
釋義

the set of beliefs or values through which someone frames a series of events, reflecting their point of view rather than purely reporting facts.

例句

The two politicians offered completely different narratives about the cause of the crisis.

competing narratives + about + topic

Roya challenged the dominant narrative by sharing her own experience on social media.

dominant + narrative (fixed collocation)

同義詞
  • account

    overlaps but 'narrative' in this sense emphasises the viewpoint being pushed, not just the facts

  • interpretation

    highlights the subjective element more directly than 'narrative'

  • version

    suggests a particular telling that may differ from others, often implying bias

  • perspective

    focuses on the standpoint rather than the story-like structure

文法句型

narrative + about + noun phrase

dominant / competing / official + narrative

narrative + of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Often used in the plural (narratives) when contrasting different viewpoints. Common in political, media, and academic contexts. Compare with sense 1: sense 1 is about a literal story; sense 2 is about a framework or angle for interpreting facts.

常見錯誤

❌She wrote a long narrative about her holiday.' (when meaning a simple story)
✅Use sense 1 for literal stories. Sense 2 is for viewpoints or interpretations.
❌The media narrative are divided.
✅The media narratives are divided.
💡Both singular and plural are common; use plural when comparing multiple viewpoints.

narratives — adjective